Navteq, a digital map and traffic data provider, plans to help drivers navigate the most difficult intersections by rendering them in 3-D. The image appears as animation but mimics what the driver sees through the windshield, including roads signs, overhead passes and other real-world objects.
For 2,000 of the U.S.’s most confusing intersections and 8,000 worldwide, Navteq’s software will switch from a flat map to 3-D and highlight the correct lane. It will provide the visual cues that are most useful to people in the midst of an uncertain split-second decision, according to the company.
Navteq calls these 3-D renderings “Motorway Junction Objects.” The company has not announced when the service will become available on GPS units.